NAY PYI TAW/MANDALAY/KUNMING, March 30 (Xinhua) — Since a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar on Friday, several Chinese rescue teams have arrived in the Southeast Asian country and are racing against time to save lives together with local rescue teams.
A 37-member rescue and medical team from China’s Yunnan Province arrived at Myanmar’s Yangon International Airport at around 7 a.m. local time on Saturday, carrying emergency supplies such as full-function life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellite phones and drones. The team immediately joined a Myanmar fire and rescue team and headed to the badly hit capital Nay Pyi Taw.
On Saturday evening, the rescue team arrived in the capital and started rescue work at once.
At 5 a.m. on Sunday, after an emergency rescue operation overnight, they rescued an elderly man trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of Ottara Thiri Private Hospital.
On Sunday morning, Myanmar’s State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visited the hospital and extended his appreciation to members of the Chinese rescue team for their timely assistance.
In Mandalay, another severely affected city, the first batch of members of China’s Blue Sky Rescue arrived early Sunday and immediately started rescue work with local volunteers. A quake survivor in Mandalay was recovered at around 9:30 a.m. by members of the Blue Sky Rescue team from China’s Hunan Province.
At 6:30 a.m., more than 100 young volunteers of overseas Chinese in Myanmar started to carry out preliminary technical, information and logistical support work such as collecting information under the guidance of the rescue team.
Officials from the Myanmar rescue department briefed the rescue team on Myanmar’s arrangements for international rescue efforts.
A local Chinese resident, surnamed Yang, told Xinhua early Sunday morning that many overseas Chinese living in Yangon drove more than 10 hours overnight to deliver supplies, such as antiseptics, gloves and N95 masks, to rescue teams in Mandalay. Many restaurants offered free meals to rescue workers.
Relief supplies were rushed to the earthquake-stricken areas. On Saturday, China’s Yunnan Province launched an emergency response mechanism to prepare tents, blankets, foldable beds and other relief supplies, with the first batch of supplies arriving in Myanmar on Saturday by air.
On Saturday evening, more emergency relief supplies were seen going through the border check at Ruili Port on the China-Myanmar border.
To ensure quick clearance of relief supplies, rescue workers and medical personnel, the China-Myanmar border has launched a post-earthquake emergency clearance coordination mechanism, operating 24 hours a day with a green channel for related personnel and supplies, officials from Kunming Customs said.
About 1,700 people died, 3,400 were injured, and 300 remained missing in the massive earthquake in Myanmar, according to the country’s State Administration Council on Sunday.■
